That's the Price of Loving Me - Listening Party 26th March 2025

This is an edit of the listening party for Dean’s new album That’s the Price of Loving Me - I’ve left in most of Dean & Britta’s comments and included a few others that got a reply from them. The whole thing can (as of 27th March 2025) still be seen on the listening party page on Bandcamp.

That's the Price of Loving Me

Dean Wareham:

Hey it’s Dean, in Los Angeles Put your headphones on!

You Were the Ones I Had to Betray

Dean Wareham:

This first track you’ve probably already heard. I wasn’t sure about this song going into the studio, but when the cellist Gabe Noel started laying down his cellos, it was transformed. In addition to the cello, he plays the bass harmonica that comes in at the end of the song.
That’s the cellist making the seagull sound.

Britta Phillips:

I added this chord change,

Dear Betty

Dean Wareham:

“Dear Betty Baby” This is the second time I’ve covered Mayo Thompson (of Red Crayola); in Galaxie 500 we recorded his “Victory Garden.” This is one of the better songs from his lone solo album — Corky’s Debt to his Father.

Britta Phillips:

Anthony LaMarca on drums again.
I played my ‘67 Mustang bass with the original flat-wound strings on most of the songs.

The Mystery Guest

Dean Wareham:

“The Mystery Guest” is dedicated to a dear departed friend Kiko, “the mystery guest”, the “someone we lost” — who lived in a townhouse in London that he dubbed “Mercurio House” after his cat, Mercurio. This is an acrostic poem, that is, the first letter of each verse line spells out the title: M-Y-S-T-E-R-Y-G-U-E-S-T. Well, almost.

New World Julie

Dean Wareham:

“New World Julie.” There are songs of despair on the album but here I tried to be optimistic. I borrowed from the 1968 New Left slogan: “London Paris Rome Berlin / we shall fight we shall win.”“Julie” is our neighbor Julie.

Britta Phillips:

Roger Brogan on drums

Dean Wareham:

Um yes moving to L.A. made it hard to write songs. Too much sunshine. But I’ve figured it out

Dean Wareham:

Drums by Roger Brogan on this one!

We’re Not Finished Yet

Dean Wareham:

“We’re Not Finished Yet.” It may sound like a dirty song (I waxed you I rubbed you, I reamed you, I cleaned you) but it’s about a vintage Gibson guitar that I bought at Guitar Center Hollywood, and restored with the help of our friend Derek. I took these chords from an obscure Serge Gainsbourg song. Gainsbourg as a songwriter was always borrowing or stealing so I’m not too worried.
It’s about both love of guitar and love of another…

Bourgeois Manqué

Dean Wareham:

This one might be my fave. . Drums by Roger, bass by Britta. “Bourgeois Manqué”: I studied German in high school, and the teacher had us read Thomas Mann’s early autobiographical short story, Tonio Kröger. In one scene Tonio’s friend confronts him, calling him a “bourgeois manqué,” part artist, part bourgeois. I’ve always liked that phrase and I finally hung a song on it.

Britta Phillips:

This was so much fun to record. Roger on drums again.

Dean Wareham:

Kramer on lapsteel here

Britta Phillips:

I was just winging it which is why it’s so fun

Dean Wareham:

There’s the lap steel

Yesterday’s Hero

Dean Wareham:

bombs bullets and bullshit

Britta Phillips:

Can’t wait to play these live!

Dean Wareham:

Backwards guitar

Carpark Records:

Did you keep in touch with Kramer since G500 or did you reconnect for this record?

Dean Wareham:

Kramer and I lost touch in the 90s but ever since my book we’ve been back in touch

Nonewnow:

Speaking as an Australian, I would love to hear Dean cover the “other” Yesterday’s Hero…

Dean Wareham:

I had totally forgotten about the other “Yesterday’s Hero” till Chris Hollow reminded me, and yes I definitely knew it as a kid living in Australia

Britta Phillips:

3 solos at once! Kramer’s idea.

Andy Aldridge:

How you going to do three solos live!?

Dean Wareham:

We’ll do TWO guitar solos live that will have to suffice

Britta Phillips:

The bass is all live except for a couple songs that I “fixed” later.

Dean Wareham:

Moog synth through an EMS synthesizer

Britta Phillips:

Kramer’s wonderful mad moog solo.

Reich der Traüme (World of Dreams)

Dean Wareham:

Reich der Traüme (World of Dreams). An obscure ‘80s Nico track, originally released in 1981 on an album by her guitarist, Lutz Ulbrich’s album. “Let me win, let me die, let me love, let me fly.” Kramer on the celeste and mellotron

Taterdude773:

Dean, are you fluent in German?

Dean Wareham:

Not sure about “fluent” but I can get by in German

Andy Aldridge:

Did Kramer just have a Celesta kicking around the studio? Does he have a lot of kit??

Dean Wareham:

The studio had a real vintage Celeste

Britta Phillips:

Backwards solo!!

Dean Wareham:

But I played it forwards using a backward delay pedal

Britta Phillips:

Lucy’s Meat Market in Eagle Rock is a great studio !!

The Cloud is Coming

Dean Wareham:

“The Cloud Is Coming” — maybe you know this one, Britta and I recorded it for Noah Baumbach’s film White Noise. Once again the cellist Gabe Noel really shines. He was lovely, he wanted to be involved in these sessions mostly so he could meet Kramer, who is a hero to him for producing those first couple of LOW records, which he said changed his life.

Britta Phillips:

Can’t wait to play these songs live!! 👋

Dean Wareham:

Signing off! You can all go back to work, or attending class, or teaching class

Britta Phillips:

See you soon!